Patient room cleaning system and method

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for cleaning a patient area in a medical facility. The method generally includes creating a team of members with each member assigned specific tasks that may include vacuuming, damp cleaning, and damp mopping of the patient area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to cleaning methods. More particularly, the invention relates to a cleaning method that assigns cleaning team members to different tasks to increase efficiency and productivity.

2. Description of the Related Art

Traditional methods for cleaning a patient's area in a medical facility include dry mopping and dusting. Such methods can disperse dust particulates throughout the patient's environment, decreasing air quality. The dust particulates also resettle and contaminate surfaces thought to be clean. Airborne dust could also be breathed by the patient, leading to infections and lowering health quality. Traditional cleaning methods have also included mopping floors and using a bucket and string-mop that is moved from room to room without changing the mop or refreshing the cleaning solution. This approach can lead to cross contamination of bacteria from one room to the next.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art cleaning methods. More particularly, the invention provides a cleaning method that assigns cleaning team members to different tasks to increase efficiency and productivity. In addition, cleanliness is improved and contamination is reduced by the single-use techniques of the invention.

The present invention offers improvements over traditional cleaning practices in that a team of members is employed with specific tasks to focus on areas in which patients are residing. Each member is assigned a specific job to perform in a given area and the members rotate job assignments on a regular schedule. As opposed to traditional cleaning techniques that allow dust particulates to become airborne, some embodiments of the present invention utilize damp cleaning with single-use disinfected cloths to clean a patient area, leading to an improvement in air quality and a reduction in illnesses associated with airborne pollutants and infectious matter. Some embodiments of the present invention also use microfiber, disinfected mops that are discarded after one use to clean all floor areas, resulting in a reduction of cross contamination.

For example, in one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of cleaning a patient area having a floor area. The method generally includes creating a team including a plurality of team members. A first and a second team member are assigned to remove trash from the patient area. The first and second team members are assigned to scan the floor area for large debris and remove the debris. A third team member is assigned to vacuum the floor area. The first team member is assigned to damp clean the patient area. The second team member is assigned to mop the floor area.

In another embodiment, the method generally includes creating a three-member team, comprising first, second, and third team members. The first and second team members are assigned to remove trash from a patient area. The first and second team members are assigned to scan a floor area for large debris and remove the debris. The third team member is assigned to vacuum the floor area. The first team member is assigned to damp clean the patient area. The second team member is assigned to damp clean the floor area with a microfiber mop.

In another embodiment, the method includes creating a three-member team, comprising first, second, and third team members. The first and second team members are assigned to remove trash from a patient area and deposit the trash in a mobile trash apparatus. The first and second team members are assigned to scan a floor area for large debris and remove the debris. The third team member is assigned to vacuum the floor area using a vacuum cart with a HEPA-filtered vacuum. The first team member is assigned to damp clean the patient area utilizing single-use cloths that are soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use. The second team member is assigned to damp clean the floor area with a microfiber mop that is soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use. After a period of approximately thirty minutes, the various assigned tasks are rotated.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a vacuum cart;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a vacuum cart;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cleaning team cleaning a patient area utilizing a vacuum cart, a supply cart, and a mobile trash apparatus; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing some of the steps that may be performed by various embodiments of the present invention.

The drawing figures do not limit the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the present invention is preferably implemented utilizing equipment such as a vacuum cart 10 including a vacuum cleaning apparatus, a supply cart 12, buckets 14 positioned on or within the cart 12, a plurality of single-use cloths 16, a plurality of single-use mops 18, and a mobile trash apparatus 20. As discussed in more detail below, the equipment including the vacuum cart 10, supply cart 12, and the mobile trash apparatus 20 is utilized by a plurality of team members to clean a patient area 40 that may include a patient room 30, bathroom, and floor area 32. However, the various embodiments of the present invention may be utilized to clean any area.

The vacuum cart 10 is preferably a Cartmaster Total Environment Cleaning System manufactured by M.D. Manufacturing, Inc. of Bakersfield, Calif. However, the cart 10 may comprise any mobile vacuum elements, preferably with HEPA filtering. For example, in some embodiments the vacuum cart 10 may comprise a conventional wheeled cart having a HEPA filtered vacuum positioned thereon.

The supply cart 12 is preferably a Rubbermaid 6191 Full-Size Housekeeping Cart manufactured by Newell Rubbermaid Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., but may include any cart capable of holding housekeeping cleaning supplies. The cart also preferably includes buckets 14 that contain a cleaning solution in which to soak single-use cloths 16 and microfiber mops 18. The buckets 14 may be integrally formed within the cart 12 or be discrete elements that are removably transported on or within the cart 12. The cleaning solution could include a disinfectant such as bleach or a similar anti-bacterial fluid, but is preferably an EPA-registered detergent or disinfectant.

The single-use cloths 16 are preferably microfiber cleaning cloths available from Parish Maintenance Supply in Syracuse, N.Y., but may include any microfiber or lint-free wipes that have absorbency and strength when wet to allow for intense cleaning. The microfiber cloths are preferably launderable and reusable and can be hand or machine washed and dried at low temperature between 500 and 1000 times.

The single-use mops 18 are preferably 3M single-use microfiber mops, but may include any microfiber-type mops that are capable of being treated with a disinfectant. Microfiber mops not only are cheaper to utilize than traditional string mops because they require less water and cleaning or disinfecting solution, but they also offer better cleaning because they can get into crevices and along baseboards where traditional mops have trouble. Microfiber mops also offer the option of being launderable and reusable. One microfiber mop head can be used to mop the floor of one patient area and then discarded into a special bag or compartment in the supply cart 12. Another microfiber mop head can be installed on the mop handle to mop the next patient area. At the end of the shift, all the used mop heads can be washed in laundry detergent or other cleaning solutions and dried at low temperature for reusage during the next shift. The mop heads can be used repeatedly in this fashion between 100 and 500 times.

The mobile trash apparatus 20 is preferably a 32-gallon round container, Model #2632WH, mounted or coupled with a dolly, Model #2640, both manufactured by Newell Rubbermaid Inc. in Atlanta, Ga., but may include any container capable of holding trash that is mobile or can be adapted to a dolly or the like.

The mobile cleaning equipment has been described above as preferably including three discrete elements—the vacuum cart 10, the supply cart 12, and the mobile trash apparatus 20. However, in some embodiments, the carts 10, 12 and apparatus 20 may be combined into any combination of carts, including a single cart including vacuum, cleaning, and trash elements. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum cart 10 may include the buckets 14 and other cleaning supplies such that use of the supply cart 12 is not required. In another alternative embodiment, the supply cart 12 may be equipped with both a vacuum apparatus and a trash receptacle.

Steps 100-106 shown in FIG. 4 generally illustrate a method operable to be performed by various embodiments of the present invention. Steps 100-106 generally include: creating a plurality of team members, referenced at step 100; assigning team member duties, referenced at step 102; cleaning according to the assigned duties, referenced at step 104; and reassigning team member duties, referenced at step 106.

In step 100, a cleaning team is created with a plurality of members. The number of team members can vary from two to four, however, three team members is the preferred embodiment. Two team members will require more time to complete the tasks and four team members can result in possible underutilization of the staff. Three team members are preferable because the tasks to be assigned can easily be divided into threes, allowing many of the tasks to be performed simultaneously. As a result, for a three-member team, the tasks are readily rotated and can be completed in an efficient and effective manner. As shown in FIG. 3, the various team members preferably include a first team member P1, a second team member P2, and a third team member P3.

In step 102, the individual team members are assigned specific tasks to perform. The first and second team members P1, P2 are assigned the task of moving through the patient area 40 to remove trash. Specifically, the first and second team members P1, P2 also are assigned the task of scanning the floor areas 32 for large debris that may block or interfere with the vacuum cart 10. The first and second team members P1, P2 preferably place removed trash and debris in the mobile trash apparatus 20 for easy transport and disposal. The third team member P3 is assigned the task of vacuuming the floor area utilizing the vacuum cart 10 after the debris are removed form the floor area 32. The first team member P1 is assigned the task of damp cleaning the patient area 40 with single-use cloths 16, which are preferably discarded after cleaning a single patient area into a separate bag, located in the supply cart 12, and laundered later. The second team member P2 is assigned to mop the floor area 32 with a microfiber mop 18, which is preferably discarded after mopping the floor area of a single patient area into a separate bag, within or coupled with the supply cart 12, and laundered later.

While the preferable assignments for step 102 are discussed above, other combinations and variations are possible. For example, first and third team members may be assigned the task of removing debris from the floor area, while the second team member is assigned to vacuum the floor. And the first team member may be assigned to mop the floor area, while the third team member is assigned to damp clean the patient area. Other assignment combinations are also possible.

In step 104, the patient area 40 is cleaned according to the tasks assigned in step 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the first team member P1 cleans the patient's room 30 of the patient area 40 with one or more cloths 16 obtained from the supply cart 12. The second team member P2 mops the floor areas 32 with the damp, microfiber mop 18. The third team member P3 vacuums the floor area 32 with the vacuum cart 10. Any debris encountered can be disposed of in the mobile trash apparatus 20. In some embodiments, the second team member P2 may mop the floor area 32 utilizing any equipment and the first team member P1 may damp clean the patient area 40 with any equipment.

As should be appreciated, the team members P1, P2, P3 may clean the various areas without actually cleaning or accessing every portion of the areas. Thus, as utilized herein, “clean” means to clean at least a portion of an area. For instance, step 104 may be completed by vacuuming a portion of the floor area 32 with the vacuum cart 10, by picking up only a portion of encountered debris, by cleaning only a portion of areas and surfaces with the cloths 16 and mops 18, etc.

Step 104 is preferably repeated for each patient area. For instance, in hospital settings, a plurality of patient areas may exist each corresponding to a hospital room or other area. In such embodiments, each patient area is cleaned as discussed above. Cleaning a plurality of patient areas according to the various embodiments of the present invention increases cleanliness and reduces contamination. Specifically, as the cloths 16 and mops 18 are single-use, each cloth or mop is only utilized to clean a single patient area until it is laundered or otherwise sterilized. Such a configuration reduces contamination and increases cleanliness by preventing bacteria and other undesirable substances from being spread between patient areas. Further, the embodiments of the present invention enable many areas to be efficiently and effectively cleaned due to the team member assignments and use of the carts 10, 12 and trash apparatus 20.

In step 106, the team members rotate tasks after a given period of time in order to avoid boredom and fatigue. The preferable period of time is approximately thirty minutes. For instance, after about thirty minutes, the third team member P3 will perform the first team member's P1 tasks, the first team member P1 will perform the second team member's P2 tasks, and the second team member P2 will perform the third team member's P3 tasks. The rotation continues on the given schedule as long as the team is active. As should be appreciated, the tasks may be rotated after any fixed or random interval to increase team member efficiency and productivity. For instance, the tasks may be rotated after cleaning five or ten patient areas, etc.

It is known that medical facility patient discharge volume increases about 11:00 am. All patient areas in which the patient will continue to stay should be cleaned by 11:30 am. At this time, the team members finish cleaning the patient area they currently working on. Once finished, they move to a patient area where the patient has recently been discharged and they clean the patient area, performing the steps discussed above. The team members continue cleaning the areas where patients have been discharged until all recently-discharged patient areas have been cleaned. There is no disruption to the workflow, but merely a priority given to those areas where patients have recently been discharged. As a result, beds are available sooner for the admission of a new patient.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims. 

1. A method of cleaning a patient area including a patient room and a floor area, comprising the steps of: a.) creating a team including a plurality of team members; b.) assigning a first and a second team member to remove trash from the patient area; c.) assigning the first and second team members to scan the floor area for large debris and remove the debris; d.) assigning a third team member to vacuum the floor area; e.) assigning the first team member to damp clean the patient area; and f.) assigning the second team member to mop the floor area.
 2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of: g.) after a period of time following step f, assigning the first and the third team members to remove trash from the patient area and remove debris from the floor area; h.) after a period of time following step f, assigning the second team member to vacuum the floor area; l.) after a period of time following step h, assigning the third team member to damp clean the patient area; and j.) after a period of time following step h, assigning the first team member to mop the floor areas.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the period of time is defined to be approximately thirty minutes.
 4. The method of claim 2, further including the steps of: k.) after a period of time following step j, assigning the second and the third team members to remove trash from the patient area and remove debris from the floor area; l.) after a period of time following step j, assigning the first team member to vacuum the floor area; m.) after a period of time following step l, assigning the second team member to damp clean the patient area; and n.) after a period of time following step l, assigning the third team member to mop the floor area.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein step f includes assigning the second team member to mop the floor area with a microfiber mop.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein step d includes assigning the third team member to vacuum the floor area with a vacuum cart.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein step b includes assigning the first and second team members to remove trash utilizing a mobile trash apparatus.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein step e includes assigning the first team member to damp clean the patient area utilizing a supply cart.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the supply cart includes a plurality single-use cloths soaked in a disinfectant solution.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the supply cart includes a plurality of single-use microfiber mops soaked in disinfectant solution.
 11. A method of cleaning a patient area comprising a patient room, bathroom, and floor area, the method comprising the steps of: a.) creating a three-member team, comprising first, second, and third team members; b.) assigning first and second team members to remove trash from the patient area; c.) assigning first and second team members to scan the floor area for large debris and remove the debris; d.) assigning a third team member to vacuum the floor area; e.) assigning the first team member to damp clean the patient area; and f.) assigning the second team member to damp clean the floor area with a microfiber mop.
 12. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of: g.) after a period of thirty minutes following step f, assigning the first and the third team members to remove trash from the patient area and remove debris from the floor area; h.) after a period of thirty minutes following step f, assigning the second team member to vacuum the floor area; l.) after a period of thirty minutes following step h, assigning the third team member to damp clean the patient area; and j.) after a period of thirty minutes following step h, assigning the first team member to mop the floor area with a microfiber mop.
 13. The method of claim 12, further including the steps of: k.) after a period of thirty minutes following step j, assigning the second and the third team members to remove trash from the patient area and remove debris from the floor area; l.) after a period of thirty minutes following step j, assigning the first team member to vacuum the floor area; m.) after a period of thirty minutes following step l, assigning the second team member to damp clean the patient area; and n.) after a period of thirty minutes following step l, assigning the third team member to mop the floor area with a microfiber mop.
 14. The method of claim 11, wherein step d includes assigning the third member to vacuum the floor area with a vacuum cart.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein step b includes assigning the first and second team members to remove trash utilizing a mobile trash apparatus.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein step e includes assigning the first team member to damp clean the patient area utilizing a supply cart.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the supply cart includes a plurality single-use cloths soaked in a disinfectant solution.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the supply cart includes a plurality of single-use microfiber mops soaked in disinfectant solution.
 19. A method of cleaning a patient area comprising a patient room, bathroom, and floor area, the method comprising the steps of: a.) creating a three-member team, comprising first, second, and third team members; b.) assigning first and second team members to remove trash from a patient area and deposit the trash in a mobile trash apparatus; c.) assigning first and second team members to scan the floor area for large debris and remove the debris; d.) assigning a third team member to vacuum the floor area using a vacuum cart including a vacuum apparatus; e.) assigning the first team member to damp clean the patient area utilizing single-use cloths that are soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use; f.) assigning the second team member to damp clean the floor area with a microfiber mop that is soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use; g.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step f, assigning the first and the third team members to remove trash from the patient area and remove debris from the floor area and deposit the trash and debris in the mobile trash apparatus; h.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step f, assigning the second team member to vacuum the floor area using the vacuum cart; l.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step h, assigning the third team member to damp clean the patient area utilizing single-use cloths that are soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use; j.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step h, assigning the first team member to mop the floor area with a microfiber mop that is soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use; k.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step j, assigning the second and the third team members to remove trash from the patient area and remove debris from the floor area and deposit the trash and debris in the mobile trash apparatus; l.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step j, assigning the first team member to vacuum the floor area using the vacuum cart; m.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step l, assigning the second team member to damp clean the patient area utilizing single-use cloths that are soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use; and n.) after a period of at least approximately thirty minutes following step l, assigning the third team member to mop the floor area with a microfiber mop that is soaked in a disinfectant solution and discarded after one use. 